Almost a year ago today I posted about the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas and his band of merry helpers, the Zwarte Piets. I discussed the tradition and its inappropriate racial connotations in today’s multi-cultural Dutch society (in 2006, 20% of the Netherlands population was "non-Dutch").
To briefly summarize for those of you unfamiliar with the tradition, in Holland, Sinterklaas is celebrated on December 5th. On this evening, Dutch children put out their shoes for Sinterklaas to fill with treats. Sinterklaas live in Spain and ever December travels to Holland via ship. He then rides through the streets on horse-back accompnied by his helpers. Sounds like a nice litte story, eh? Well, it is, apart from the fact that SinterKlaas’s helpers are Zwarte Piets (Black Peters)--men depicted in jolly outfits, large red lips, curly afros, and very black skin. This image might be acceptable in a storybook setting (though I somehow even doubt that), but it is even more disturbing when re-enacted in the streets of Holland by White Dutch folk clad in afro wigs, red lipstick, and black face makeup.
BUT...this post isn’t another negative one, critizing this arachic tradition! No, this post is actually meant to celebrate that the times they might be a changin’ in Holland!! As reported by various Dutch new sources today, “The Sinterklaas tradition appears to be gradually fading in the multicultural Dutch society in the face of rising criticism to the saint's helpers, 'Zwarte Pieten'”.
Every year the Dutch public broadcaster, NOS, reports on the arrival of SinterKlaas to the Dutch cities. This year however, the NOS reported that “the steamboat sailed into a rainbow on the way to the Netherlands.[And] as a result, the Zwarte Pieten have blue, green, yellow and red faces this year.” (Link to the full article)
Could it be true? Might we be spared the shameful black-faces this year and instead be treated to a much more politically correct ensemble of Rainbow Piets???!
To those who made this decision: hats off!!
Nothing shamefull about it. It's an old, old, old tradition. Nobody I know is angry about it. I'm a dutch man myself and I have a lot of 'allochtonen' among my friends, and all of them accept it and even play along! One of my Marrocan friends even played a 'zwarte piet' for his children.
Zwarte Pieten with rainbow faces is ridiculous.
